Simon Says (John Simon Thrillers Book 1)

A humanoid android participating in a police investigation? Why Not? I thought this was a well written concept that allows those of us with vivid imaginations to think about what the future might entail for us including half human half robots that can think for themselves.The author allowed the reader to get into the characters and feel what was happening to them at any given time throughout the book. It was a well written story and I'm looking forward to the next book in the series to see where he takes it from here.Definitely worth reading !!

I hated giving three stars to a book that most odd-couple cop-buddy-story lovers will love. I had enjoyed some of the author’s previous books and the anthologies he had edited, so I was eager to read the ARC and write a review. It turns out I was not the intended audience, which is on me rather than the author.I had three problems with the book. First, I’m a prude, okay? I flinched my way through the book. Since most people talk that way, I suspect the majority of readers will have no idea what I’m complaining about. Oh, and that leads to some of the humorous moments where Simon is admonishing his daughter not to talk like that in the same way I was mentally yelling at the characters to clean up their language.Second, the body count is high and sometimes graphic.Third, I found it hard to stay in the mind of the main character because of his constant rage. His anger is justifiable, but for the first quarter of the book, the character is pissed off or on edge on every single page. Angry men frighten women. Or maybe just me. In real life, I’d be running for the door to get away from such an angry man before he blew up and shredded me with shrapnel. I was so relieved when there were finally some tender moments with the daughter and some other people.Those tender moments and the humor with an android that liked to sing Mr. Roboto were my favorite parts of the book. Other readers will enjoy the tension, banter, movie quotes, constant action, mystery, and over the top car chases. The same way I enjoy stories set in Seattle and Portland, people who are familiar with Kansas City should enjoy this story. The writing is fine and appropriate for the genre. This would make a great cop movie. I can easily see the series attracting fans who will clamor for the next book.

The year is 2029 and not much has changed in the future except for now there are androids that look and act like people. But not in a scary, take over the world way. Rather they blend in and have jobs like everyone else.Enter John Simon. An experienced cop who follows a tip with his partner to bust a crime ring. That’s when things go south and the bullets start flying. In the middle of this, he meets a security guard named Lucas and his life will never be the same. He just doesn’t know it yet.During the investigation, Simon suffers a terrible tragedy. He goes on a crusade to find the person responsible and Lucas comes along to assist in the investigation.Lucas starts out as an innocent personality until Simon's daughter, Emma suggests that he watch cop shows and cop movies. From then on Lucas becomes a one-line machine with a string of movie and TV references. It's an entertaining and humorous break from the seriousness of the murder and corruption case they are following.The story itself is straight-up cop story. Bad guy does bad stuff, cops have to track him down.The interactions and budding friendship between Simon and Lucas are what makes this story special.I liked Lucas and his movie quoting antics. He reminded me of Data from Star Trek: The Next Generation only less innocent.Warning, adult language. There was barely a chapter where someone wasn’t launching an f-bomb. Usually, it was Simon.Throughout the story, the author kept eluding to a deeper, larger story but never paid off. Maybe it was a setup for the next book.I look forward to reading the next book, 'The Sideman', once I get my 'to be read' list under control.If you like buddy cop movies or futuristic movies like ‘I robot’ you’ll like Simon says.

Disclosure: I received an electronic advance review copy from the publisher with no expectation of a review.Bryan Thomas Schmidt's first John Simon Thriller, Simon Says, is near-perfect blend of three genres: near-future science fiction, police procedural, and comedic pastiche of both. The humor is woven seamlessly throughout the otherwise serious story (international cop-killing assassins, stolen microchips at the like) and is mostly rooted in character interactions (with the occasional pop-culture joke thrown in). The action scenes are fast-paced and well-executed. The procedural elements are well-researched and incorporated without being info-dumps (likewise, the "location shots" of various Kansas City locations). The SF is believable near-future but not borderline dystopian/apocalyptic. And now can I not love a novel that builds a whole scene around one of the most well-known songs by possibly my favorite rock band of the late 70s/early 80s?There's a lot to enjoy here for readers who love novels that blend genres, and I look forward to the next installment.

Simon Says (John Simon Thrillers Book 1) Kindle Edition by Bryan Thomas SchmidJohn Simon is a Detective with the Kansas City police department. It is 2029, and the future is not dramatically different from the present. Crime and poverty seem very familiar, but there are androids that seem almost human and self-driving cars are a reality--not that John Simon trusts his car do do any driving. He has a partner, Blanca Santorios. It starts out like many cop novels, with John and Bianca teaming up to solve crimes. Then Bianca is brutally murdered and John finds himself teamed with an android, Lucas George. Talk about an odd couple!!What I Liked:The story is creative, the novel is well-written. The dialogue sounds like real people talking. The plot was exciting and the story had an actual beginning, middle, and ending. There were enough twists and turns to make it exciting. Editing was not bad, but there were enough slips to keep the grammar Nazis happy, Lucas George was an interesting character, and I liked him.What I Did Not Like:The language. OK, cops cuss. A lot. We all know that. But we don't need an "F-Bomb" on every page to remind us of that fact. The humor was funny at the beginning, but for me it got old fast. I implore the author to dial back on the snarky humor, at least. OH, I did not particularly like John Simon.Conclusion: A well written cop novel in a futuristic way. There are some things I did not like, but most fans of the genre will find it entertaining. FOUR STARS.